Handgrip for pipe and sewer rods



Dec 20, 1927.

A. J. COLEMAN HAND GRIP'FOR PIPE AND SEWER RODS Filed March 17, 1924 is so constructed that the ordinary a'ct'of Patented cs. 20, E327,

ALLAN a. Cowman, or cr ncaeairnnaors. 1

HANDGRIP FOR rrrn Ania snwna nons.

a lication filed March 17, 1924. Serial No. 699,960.

This invention relates to improvements in i automatic hand grips for sewer and drain pipe rods, the rods being provided at their advance ends with suitable tools, bits, or the like for dislodging foreign matter from the walls of such 'sewer, drain pipe or the like. My improved automatic hand grip-is "adaptable for use with bothflat, round, 0r other cross-sectional shaped rods'used for this andlike purposes. 7

The object of the invention is to provide a very simple hand grip which is capable of being moved freely along; the rod for the purpose of changing the point 'o f'connection of the hand grip to the rod, and which grasping the hand grip will automatically lock the grip on the rod and therebysecurely and temporarily fasten it 'to a new point on the rod. Further objectsof the invention are to produce a strong' and rugged hand grip for the purpose setforth, a hand grip having interior clamping surfaces between which the rod extends, and which clamping surfaces are broughtto bear upon the rod in the ordinary manual use of the grip for operating the rod and to provide in a hand grip having such clamping surfaces a suitable fulcrum between Jrelatively movable parts of the hand grip. A further. ob'ect' of the invention is to i provide a hand grip of thischaracter which Fig. 1 is aside elevation of a hand grip,

a rod to which it is attached. and a cleaning tool at the end of-therod remote from the grip. v I

Fig. 2 isan enlarged elevation of the hand grip showing a portion of the rod.

Figs. 3 andA are cross and longitudinal sections, respectively, on the lines and k450i? Fig. 2. V

Fig. 5 is a detached inner face-view of oneof the rip members.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of another. form of hand gri Fig. 7 is a cross section 'ofFig.6. '-j

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 5'showing. the inner side of one of the members of the hand grip illustrated in FigspG and 7 I First referring to Figs. 1 to". 5 inclusive,. 10 designates, as a whole, my improved hand on the line 7-. 7

grip, 11 a flat elongated rod, and 12 a tool or spear-point which is fixed tothe end of the rod remote from the hand grip and is the'part' of the apparatus which attacks the dirt or sedimentinthe pipes to be cleaned.

The rod shown in Figure l'is" a flat rod.- It. will usually be made of spring metal of-a gauge whichjcan be spirally rolled for ship ping.

Said handv grip comprises two separately formed members 14', 15. They are prefers ably of symmetrical "form and dimensions throughout the main portions thereof, being dissimilar inrespect of the means by which they are pivoted together to operate as the jaws of aclamp; Ahand grip for a flat rod isof'oblonggcross-section, as will appear from Figures "2 and 3t -The said members are'parted in the general plane-of the-flat rod, when adapted to a flat rod, and are enteriorly formed attheir outer endsto provide a bead 16-and are likewise formed at their inner ends to provide pairs of beads 16. The manner of, pivoting or hingedly 7 connecting the grip members at the inner end of the hand grip comprises deformable lugs, 17 integral with a neck like portion- 18 at the inner end of the grip member 15 which lies between. the beads 16, andsaid lugsare adapted to be formed upwardly v and in wardly about'the sides'of'and on a seat'19 on the grip member 'll'between said beads 16. Thispivot or hinge-relation is a loose gone so as' to adapt the members of the hand grip to rods of different dimensions.

20, 20 designate transverse 'clamplng ribs formed on the inner sides of the opposing grip members 14, 15. Theyare located out-.

wardly beyond the-pivotal-connection be tween the grip members formed by the lugs 17, as before described. Saidclampihg ribs 20 are formed on their"proximate'faces to engage the rod to which the hand grip. is applied. When the rod, is flat said ribs are flattened throughout their transverse length to form fiat clampingfacesto engage a flat rod. [The engaging or clamping faces, of

these ribs eittendiriwardly, beyend the inner faces of the reduced neck, orssaid portions 18, 19, respectively, as best shown inFigs. 3, 4t and 5. The margins of the grip members at the side of the hand grip are straight and oppose each other. WVhen the hand grip isnotapplied over a rod these Straight margins abut against each other, but the engaging faces of the ribs are sufficiently depressed below said straight edges that they L do not at this time abut.

grip is placed over a rod, which can be readily accomplished after the members are piv-r 'oted together by merely inserting the outer When the hand end of the rod through the flattened opening 21 between the neck 18 and seat 19 and between the ribs 20, (and which operation causes the outer ends of the grip members to separate in the manner indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4) the grip-is in place and the manual act of clamping the grip in the hand will cause the members 14, 15 to be forced together and, through the coaetion of their pivot connections and the ribs 20, will cause the bearing faces of said ribs to firmly grip the rod so that. the rod can be moved endwise in either direction against considerable resistance for the purpose'of manipulating the rod and its end tool to clear a drain or sewer pipe. The particular implement or tool herein shown is of that form described and claimed" in my copending application for U. 8 Letters Patent Se rial No. 699,961, filed on the 17th day of March, 1924,'but so far as the present invention is concerned the prodding or dislodging tool may be varied.

In Figuresfi, 7 and 8 is shown the type of hand grip adapted to a round rod of known "form, usually made by spirally winding a cylindric wire to constitute a flexible rod. These rods are somewhat more flexible than the rods illustrated in Figure l to follow The characteris I the'bends of drain pipes.

\ ticsof the hand; grip shown in Figures 6, 7

TandS are, however, the same in principle as those shown in Figures 1v to 5 inclusive, with the exception that the grip members 22, 23 are made generally .semi-cylindric and the clamping ribs 24: are semi circular on their clamping faces to engage the circular rod designated by 25. The othersimilar parts can-be and are designated by like reference numerals applied to the parts shown in igures 1 to 5 inclusive. In practlce, the rod 25, which is so flexible that it can be made to follow devious courses in relatively small pipes, is provided with an advance dislodgmg implement or tool which is itself flexible so as to be capable of passlng around sharp bends in the pipe. vAiform of tool for this purpose can be made of a tapered spi- "rally woundstructure having, if desired, an

external spiral and tapered thread or hit. The-operation of the type of hand grip shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8, in connection abletool, bending the ends of said lugs inwardly towards each other on the seat 19.

This completes the assembly of the two membersf It will'thus. be seen that the two member of the hand grip can be very economically constructed and can be assembled.

by unskilledlabor. Further, little or no machine operations are required to adapt the grip to fit over the rods, the only machine: operation which may be necessary being that offlnishing the clamping faces of the ribs 20, 24.

' It will be understood that the constructions shown are illustrative of two practical embodiments of the invention and that the details of such embodiments may be some what varied within the spirit and scope of the claims hereto appended.

I claim as my invention:

1. A hand grip comprising twogenerally Y symmetrical members, formed on their inner faces to provide an axial passage for a rod, one of sa1d members being provlded'wlth external deformable pivot lugs, and the other member being provided with-an external seat over winch sa1d lugs are engaged, in

order to form between said members a hinge.

connection permitting them to swing relatively to each other about a transverse axis, said members belng provided with internal opposing clamping faces to coact with a rod disposed axially within the hand grip.

2. In a hand grip two gripping members having internal gripping surfaces, one of said members having deformable pivot lugs and the corresponding partof the other member being adapted to interlock with said lugswhen said lugs are bent'towards each other and form a hinge connection between said members adaptedto permit said members to swing relatively to each other about a transverse axis. '1

3. In a hand grip, two gripping members having internal gripping surfaces inwardly a short distance from one end. and one of said members having lugs projecting therefrom and loosely overlying the other member at said end toform a hinge connection between'said members to permit hem to swing relatively to each other.

In witness whereof I claim the foregoing as my invention, I hereunto append my signature this 28th day of February, 1924.

ALLAN J. COLEMAN. 

